The Doll's House

‘That is correct.’ She faced Kate again. ‘I understand he had the same fondness for the bottle as my late brother.’


O’Connor stood up from the sofa, moving around the room, while Deborah Gahan’s eyes followed him. ‘What can you tell us about Adrian Hamilton?’

‘Really, Detective Inspector, I don’t see how that could be of any use.’

‘Humour me.’ O’Connor stood still and stared at Deborah Gahan, who looked far from the humouring kind.

Kate watched them both. O’Connor was on well-rehearsed territory: encouraging others to share information with him was something he did extremely well. Deborah Gahan wasn’t exactly an obliging informant, but she reluctantly recited her knowledge of Adrian Hamilton as if she was answering questions on Mastermind.

‘Adrian Hamilton was a dreamer. Successful in business, yes, but it takes more than dreams of success to be successful. He got lucky, as far as I understand it, invested in stocks and shares when many other people were risk averse, a little like now, really.’

‘Go on.’ O’Connor was already writing in his notebook.

‘He set up his own business – Hamilton Holdings, I think it was called.’

‘And what kind of business was that?’

‘Anything that would make money. Investments primarily … venture capital for new ideas, property, you know the kind of thing.’

‘And it was successful you say?’

‘For a time, Detective Inspector, but at some point Adrian’s luck ran out.’

‘How do you mean?’

‘Every dog on the street knew he had big money worries. That was partly why suicide was suspected the moment his body turned up in the water.’

‘Do you know what happened to the company, Hamilton Holdings, after his death?’

‘And why would I know that, Detective Inspector?’ Deborah Gahan’s voice chilled.

‘You’re a successful businesswoman, Deborah.’ O’Connor smiled, hoping his charm might do him some good. ‘You strike me as someone who would know these things.’

Kate couldn’t help but admire how O’Connor got information out of people. He figured out fast which buttons to press, and using Deborah Gahan’s first name, while alluding to her business acumen, loosened the tight rein ever so slightly.

‘It was sold, as far as I know. Quite early on, actually, long before an official receiver could be appointed.’

‘When?’

‘It was soon after the inquest, Detective Inspector. A generous benefactor, I understand.’

‘Generous?’ O’Connor waited again.

‘It was believed that whoever acquired it paid a heavy price to Adrian Hamilton’s widow. She was the sole beneficiary of Adrian’s estate. There was the life-assurance policy, of course, but that alone wouldn’t have been enough.’

‘You seem to know a lot about the Hamiltons’ life?’ It was the first question Kate had asked Deborah Gahan, and it wasn’t one she expected to be received well.

Deborah Gahan cleared her throat, as if contemplating her response. ‘Dr Pearson, people with money tend to know a lot about each other’s lives, especially when they fall down on their luck.’ Her tone was harsh.

Kate knew she had to tread carefully. ‘Ms Gahan, whoever killed your brother most likely also killed Keith Jenkins. Everything indicates a single offender, and we can’t rule out the possibility of him acting again. If you know anything, anything at all, it’s important you share that knowledge.’

‘And do you have any idea, Dr Pearson, of the type of man who would do this? After all, that is your field of expertise.’ Deborah Gahan was fishing, and Kate knew it, but she needed to gain the woman’s trust if they had any chance of getting some concrete information out of her.

‘We know from witness statements that we’re looking for a male, someone similar in build to the late Keith Jenkins and possibly similar in age. Both crimes strongly suggest someone within a mature age grouping, and someone capable of keeping his cool. On each occasion, the killer was able to control the proceedings long enough to maximise his chances of success, especially as the murders happened in public places. I’m pretty sure this man knows exactly why he has carried out his actions, and is quite specific in how and what he wants to achieve. We can’t be one hundred per cent sure that he knew either your brother or Keith Jenkins before they met their deaths, but all the indicators point to that being the case. Until we know why your brother and Keith Jenkins were killed, we have no idea who else is at risk.’